Summary
The committee will revisit whether the city should keep paying drain construction assessments on behalf of property owners — including large commercial ones — or pass those costs on.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 4
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed May 28, 2026.
Impact analysis
Shifting assessments to property owners would relieve the general fund.
General taxpayers if costs shift to benefiting property owners.
Property owners, especially commercial, who would pay more.
Mentions & discussions (4)
Financial Health Review Committee - 28 May 2026
The committee wants the city to study charging residents through a special assessment for street lighting electricity instead of the general fund. Rough math puts it around $100-$120 per parcel citywide, though neighborhood-only charging could drop that to a couple dollars a month.
Financial Health Review Committee - 02 Apr 2026
The committee will revisit whether the city should keep paying drain construction assessments on behalf of property owners — including large commercial ones — or pass those costs on.
Financial Health Review Committee - 19 Feb 2026
The city pays about $1.3 million a year for street lights out of the general fund. Other Michigan cities assess residents instead — a Flint-style model would be about $159 per parcel, but the city's own finance chief previously declined to recommend it over legal risk.
Financial Health Review Committee - 12 Feb 2026
The committee asked staff to bring information on two revenue ideas: a streetlight special assessment (estimated at $1.3 million, which staff advised against on tax-vs-fee litigation grounds) and discontinuing the city's practice of paying drain assessments on behalf of private property owners. Both could shift costs to property owners.
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